Okay so I figure it's time to buckle down and refine my play. So I am going to start one of these deals. Hopefully it doesn't end up too long-winded.

I've been playing on Stars for a few months now. I had played some poker in the past and had some general concepts, so I figured it would be a fun diversion. I knew play money was pointless just because people weren't going to play for real. I play a number of freerolls and scored about 0.90 cents. I should have played more, because .90 cents really isn't something I should have brought to a cash table, but the freerolls were just so silly, I thought I would just take that money see what I could flesh it out to, and if i busted I would just freeroll it back up. I took that money to a 0.01/0.02 limit table and pretty easily built it up to a few bucks. I grew impatient with 0.01/0.02 limit though. I just felt I had no control of pots, and I just had to play the numbers. I "should" have stuck it out, but I took my 5 bucks or so over to the 2nl table. Yeah it was stupid, but my logic was it wasn't really "my" money to lose, so I didn't have any fear of losing it. I did well, and at the same time I started reading articles online, and found FTR. I adopted a disciplined style, and started getting better. I eventually had a roll suited for the level and started a good grind. I now am playing 10nl and have a bankroll of $515.14.

I am reaching a point in my poker "career" where I am not sure where I want to take it. My original logic when I started grinding was that what fun it could be to play a game I was beginning to love and at the same time have some money to maybe buy a few toys. Win/win, imo. I do however think with some further dedication I can really make something more out of this, still for fun but really just playing the best I think I am capable of. So here I am at my poker crossroads. So I guess I begin with the questions I have in my head:

1) I read a lot of people's blogs and they all seem to be about moving up. Always moving up. I assume most don't really do this solely for the income, but I am curious as to what point people feel like they can dip into their rolls for themselves. Okay, I hate to sound juvenile but I really want a PS3. At the same time assuming 300 is the bare amount I want for 10nl, I have to wonder if I should skim the money when I hit 750, or is it really not worth "replaying" 10nl. Shrug, this one probably isn't worth asking, and I am just thinking outloud.

2) Numbers! Okay. I read tons of posts with people sharing the x/x/x numbers and I wonder where I sit. Lifetime I am 19/11/3, but after many hands of play and learning a few hands not to play my 10nl stats are 16.5/10/2.56. This is only 5k hands though. If you were reading me based on those numbers, what am I? is 19/11/3 too loose?

3) How do you guys multitable with that PT3 hud? I can't do it. I have to scale down the windows and that shit clutters the entire window. I am constantly moving crap around just to see things. I just turn it off after a while.

Areas to improve this month:

1) Paying more attention. This is a little hard right now with some other outside problems. World of Warcraft takes up a good chunk of my time, and I have made some really good friends that are leaving the game next month, so I often have poker windows overlaid to my WoW screen so I can talk to them. Hopefully next month I can really focus more and learn to take some good notes so I don't have any bad habits when I move up. I have a nasty habit of running like a NES emu if I am only playing 3 tables or so too.

2) Less win-tilting. I am not sure if this is a real thing, or just something I made up but I don't tilt very hard from bad beats. I don't really try to make back lost money so much as I play back poorly at people that gave me the beat. This will only last a hand or so before I regain my senses, and thankfully bad beats don't really phase me too much. I do tend to find myself becoming less disciplined when I am up a lot. I make more plays and just do stupid things. So do others "win-tilt" like I seem to?

3) Set a play schedule. I play pretty erratically. I just do it when I feel like it. I'd like to set a block to play each day and stick to it.

Well, thats where I am today. I want to end by thanking you all here at FTR for all the help and time you guys have put in here, and for unknowingly getting me up to the point I am today. I am truly grateful.

Bankroll: $515.14